Mexico will not send arms to Ukraine, president says

Mexican President attends ceremony of 109th anniversary of the death of former President Francisco I Madero
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador attends the 109th anniversary of the death of President Francisco I Madero, a hero of the Mexican Revolution who was betrayed and murdered in a U.S.-backed coup, at the National Palace in Mexico City, Mexico, February 23, 2022. REUTERS/Edgard Garrido/File Photo

MEXICO CITY, March 4 (Reuters) - Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Friday that the country would not send arms to Ukraine after Ukrainian representatives had asked the country's Senate for arms and military assistance a day earlier.

"We don't send guns anywhere. We are pacifists," Lopez Obrador said during his regular news conference.

On Thursday, Ukrainian representatives sent a letter to the Mexican Senate urging that "only the military and massive support of our allies can help us push back the enemy."

Lopez Obrador also reiterated earlier comments that Mexico would not follow many other countries and impose unilateral economic sanctions on Russia after Moscow invaded Ukraine.

"We will not take any economic reprisals because we want to have good relations with all governments in the world," he said earlier this week. read more

Mexican auto parts maker Nemak has suspended operations in Russia while bread maker Grupo Bimbo (BIMBOA.MX) and tortilla maker Gruma< GRUMAB.MX> have paused their operations in Ukraine.

Reporting by Valentine Hilaire and Raul Cortes; editing by Jonathan Oatis

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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